Frustrating Sidney Crosby and the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins one final time, Lundqvist made 35 saves to lift New York to a 2-1 win last night and give his resilient team an unlikely spot in the Eastern Conference finals.

“I was so tired at the end,” Lundqvist said after setting an NHL record with his fifth straight Game 7 triumph. “But it was just a great feeling when you know it’s a done deal and we did it.”

Brian Boyle and Brad Richards scored for New York, which rallied from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in the franchise’s 88-year history.

The Rangers did it behind Lundqvist, who stopped 102 of the final 105 shots he faced over the final three games.

The three-time All-Star is 10-2 when facing elimination.

He was at his best during a mad scramble in front of the net with just over five minutes left, when he turned aside three shots from three different angles in a matter of seconds to preserve a one-goal lead.

“He was OK with guys being on top of him as long as we didn’t take penalties,” New York defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “He fought through screens, fought for loose pucks. He was incredible.”

Jussi Jokinen scored his team-high seventh goal of the postseason for Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury made 18 saves for the Penguins, who outshot New York 36-20, but were outscored 10-3 in the final three games.

Pittsburgh fell to 2-7 all time at home in Game 7s, including three such losses in the past five seasons.

This one might have been the most painful for the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and coach Dan Bylsma that seemed pointed toward a dynasty after winning the 2009 Stanley Cup.

Crosby, who led the league in scoring and is an MVP finalist, managed just one goal in 13 playoffs games.

The Penguins are 4-5 in playoff series the past five seasons, with each loss coming to lower-seeded teams. Not exactly the expected outcome for a roster scattered with top-end talent that hasn’t met expectations.

While Bylsma declined to take the wide-angle view, his captain understood the dressing room could have a very different look next fall.

“I think there’s always questions,” Crosby said. “When expectations are high and you don’t win, that’s normal. I’m sure there will be a lot of questions.”

Faced with their fifth Game 7 in the past three years, the Rangers did what they always do and took control early.

Boyle quieted a raucous crowd 5:25 into the game at the end of a pretty breakout.

Derek Dorsett hit Boyle streaking across the Pittsburgh blue line, and Boyle tapped it between his legs to Dominic Moore, who waited a split second before sending it back to Boyle.

The forward’s shot went between Fleury’s legs for his second goal of the postseason.

The Penguins responded by briefly taking over the game, their momentum cresting 4:15 into the second period when Jokinen pounded home a rebound off an Olli Maatta shot to tie the score.

Pittsburgh’s Brian Gibbons failed to get his stick down on a crossing pass from Brandon Sutter, nullifying a short-handed chance.

The Rangers took off the other way, and with the Penguins still scrambling to get back into position, Richards took a pass from Martin St. Louis and flipped it into a wide-open net to make it 2-1 before the game’s midway point.

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